Over 50% people in India defecate in the open—highest in the world

February 26, 2016

New Delhi, Feb 25: Over fifty per cent of the population defecates in the open in India which has highest number of people in the world indulging in the practice, Lok Sabha was informed today.

Replying to a question about whether India has the highest number of people in the world defecating in the open, Union Minister Ram Kripal Yadav replied in affirmative.

"Yes. As per Joint Monitoring Programme Report, 2015, 59.43 per cent of people defecating in open in the world are from India," said Yadav, Minister of State for Drinking Water and Sanitation.

Responding to another question, the minister said the number of persons defecating in the open in the country has decreased to 50.05 per cent (as on February 19, 2016) from 57.95 per cent as on October 2, 2014 when the 'Swachh Bharat' Mission (Gramin) was launched.

"As per data submitted by states/Union Territories on online Integrated Management Information System (IMIS), the percentage of rural households defecating in open was 57.95 per cent on October 2, 2014. This has decreased to 50.05 per cent on February 19, 2016," he said.

Nadia (in West Bengal), Indore (in Madhya Pradesh) and Bikaner (in Rajasthan) districts have been declared open defecation-free by respective state governments after the Mission was launch.

The minister said Sikkim, Kerala and Himachal Pradesh have least number of rural households which defecate in open at 0.10 per cent, 3.69 per cent and 5.49 per cent respectively.

On the other hand, Odisha, Bihar and Jammu and Kashmir have higher number of people defecating in open at 77.16 per cent, 76.25 per cent and 67.68 per cent respectively.

The minister said that under the Mission, the government has set a goal to achieve Swachh Bharat by October 2, 2019.

Comments

Bihar is home for huge no of bangladeshi islamic intruders and kashmir is full of anti nationals , who hate narenda modiji to the core , so they are making sure swach bharath not to happen in their provinces . i can see improvement in % and certainly modiji is in right direction . national is full of garbage ,from past 65 years it was not at all cleaned, so that garbage now has eneterd universities and glorifying islamic millitants who commited mass rape and killings of kashmiri pundits in valley

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Major facelift for Mangaluru's sporting heart: Mangala Stadium set for 2-month closure to upgrade synthetic track

News Network

December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Educational institutions in Mangaluru that rely on the popular Mangala Stadium for their annual sports events are bracing for an inconvenience as the city's key sporting venue is set to close its gates for a significant upgrade. The stadium is expected to be unavailable for approximately two months starting from January 15, 2026.

The closure is necessitated by a proposed overhaul of the stadium's facilities, with a special focus on upgrading the synthetic track. Pradeep Dsouza, Assistant Director of the District of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES), Dakshina Kannada, confirmed the development.

"Experts have visited the stadium, conducted a thorough inspection, and have given the go-ahead for a complete makeover," Dsouza stated. "Funds have been allocated for the project, and we are currently awaiting the final green signal from state officials to commence the work. We anticipate that the work will likely begin in the second week of January. Consequently, we have stopped renting out the stadium to colleges and other organizations in preparation for the upgrade."

The timing presents a logistical challenge for colleges, as many schools have already concluded their sports meets.

"Colleges will now be organizing their events and will need to find alternative locations to host their sports meets," Dsouza added. He suggested a few potential venues, including the Dakshina Kannada police ground, University College grounds, Panambur grounds, Swaraj Maidan in Moodbidri, and the Mangalore University sports grounds in Konaje.

However, many institutions note that finding a comparable venue will be difficult. While the DK police ground and University College grounds are closer to the city center, they do not possess the extensive facilities and infrastructure offered by Mangala Stadium.

Dr. P Dayananda Pai - P Satisha Govt First Grade College, Carstreet, is one such institution dependent on the stadium. Principal Jayakar Bhandary expressed hope for a swift completion of the work. "We expect the work to be completed at the earliest. If not, we will be forced to look for other venues to host the sports day for our students," Bhandary said, highlighting the pressing need for the city's main sporting facility.

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